Thursday, January 26, 2012

Moxxi is a character from the game Borderlands. Moxxi has been married at least three times to different husbands. Mr. Shank from is her second husband, and her third husband was Marcus Kincaid. She was also involved with Lucky Zaford according to her son Scooter, but there is no indication as to whether or not he was one of her husbands, though it is implied that he may have been. She created The Underdome to keep herself occupied until she finds herself a new husband. She has at least two children, Skeeter (her unseen daughter) and Scooter (her son named after her daughter). It is also implied that she is bisexual.

Moxxi's appearance draws inspiration from characters in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The top hat with a card in it is symbolic of the "Mad Hatter", while the card itself, her preference for red clothing, the tattoo on her left breast, and her sadism all invoke images of the "Queen of Hearts"."My first husband was a dirtbag, and a cheat. My second husband was fun. I figured by then, that I deserved a toy, all for myself, and that's what I got. Still wish I hadn't broken my toy. My third husband was good with numbers... and his hands. We’re still friends, kind of. We're civil. I'm looking for my fourth, you know, on the prowl. I don't know when I'll meet him, or where I'll meet him, but he's out there. For now, I'll get my jollies off on bringing pain this way... or maybe this way. And in the end, the crowd will love me for my brutality. I'll make them yearn for more and more of my pain. I'll be cruel and enjoy myself. When the thrill wears off, I'll leave and find a new toy. Until then, not too different than matrimony, come to think of it. Maybe the coliseum is my fourth husband, in a way." - Moxxi

Miss Moxxi is my next cosplay endeavor, and after much planning I have broken down her appearance and clothing to help others who wish to create her look. I will start at the bottom and work my way up.

Footwear: After an hour of searching I was able to find the perfect boots for Moxxi. They are from By The Sword, Inc, and were close to $60 with shipping. She also has one striped stocking, and one torn fishnet stocking. These are quite easy to come by, and costume shop or Hot Topic will have them.

Moxxi wears a holster around her waist, attached to a brown belt. This will be made from Wonferflex and brown material. The Holster reads "Rubi" and she does not carry a gun.

Pants: Moxxi does not wear pants, or a skirt, just her blue panties. This will be an easy find. Check Walmart.

Jacket: Moxxi wears a red ringleader type of jacket with striped cuffs and yellow trim, she also has blue and yellow buttons (One is bigger than the rest, and she is indeed missing one of them on her jacket) I ended up buying wooden buttons and will paint them as soon as possible. I used a fake velvet for her jacket and pirate stripes for the cuffs and collar. Her black bra is visible.

Jewerly/Gloves: Moxxi wears a velvet choker and black fingerless gloves. Both can be found at a costume store.

Hat: Moxxi also wears a tall red top hat. I bought a base for the hat at the costume shop, and used left over fabric from the jacket so that it matched. She has three feathers and a queen of hearts playing card tucked into it.

Megaphone: At first I was going to order a megaphone online and just paint it accordingly, but I found that another cosplayer had used a lampshade and a hairdryer to make hers. I was able to find the hairdryer at a thrift store and the lampshade was from an overstock store. Both will be painted to match Moxxi's and then pieced together once dry.

Makeup: The final touch for Moxxi will be her makeup. Start with a clean face and coated it with white hairspray, before polishing it with a coat of white powder. Lots of black liner, pink cheeks, and red lips to pull the look together. Oh, and extra long lashes as well. Here is a makeup tutorial for Miss Moxxi's look.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Steampunk is Victorian science fiction. Historically, this time period saw the development of many key aspects of the modern world, and steampunk uses this structure and existing technology to imagine an even more advanced 19th century era. By remixing styles from the Victorian era, classic Goth, gypsy, and industrial fetish, steampunk fashion creates a unique and beautifully disturbing look.